4 1Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard
that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD
God of Israel; 2Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the
chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for
we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the
days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. 3But
Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of
Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an
house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the
LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded
us. 4Then the people of the land weakened the hands of
the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, 5And
hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the
days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of
Persia. 6And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning
of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the
inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7And in the days of
Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their
companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the
letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the
Syrian tongue. 8Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the
scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in
this sort: 9Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai
the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the
Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the
Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,
10And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble
Asnapper brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the
rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time.

11This
is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto
Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river,
and at such a time. 12Be it known unto the king, that the
Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building
the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof,
and joined the foundations. 13Be it known now unto the
king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again,
then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt
endamage the revenue of the kings. 14Now because we have
maintenance from the king's palace, and it was not meet for us to
see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the
king; 15That search may be made in the book of the
records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the
records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful
unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within
the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.
16We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and
the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion
on this side the river.

17Then sent the king an answer
unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the
rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest
beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time. 18The letter
which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me. 19And
I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this
city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that
rebellion and sedition have been made therein. 20There
have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over
all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was
paid unto them. 21Give ye now commandment to cause these
men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another
commandment shall be given from me. 22Take heed now that
ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the
kings?

23Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was
read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions,
they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to
cease by force and power. 24Then ceased the work of the
house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second
year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

5 1Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and
Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in
Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto
them. 2Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and
Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which
is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping
them.

3At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on
this side the river, and Shetharboznai and their companions, and
said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and
to make up this wall? 4Then said we unto them after this
manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?
5But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews,
that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to
Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this
matter.

6The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on
this side the river, and Shetharboznai and his companions the
Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius
the king: 7They sent a letter unto him, wherein was
written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace. 8Be it
known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the
house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and
timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and
prospereth in their hands. 9Then asked we those elders,
and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and
to make up these walls? 10We asked their names also, to
certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the
chief of them. 11And thus they returned us answer,
saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and
build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great
king of Israel builded and set up. 12But after that our
fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into
the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who
destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
13But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same
king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. 14And
the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which
Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and
brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king
take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one,
whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; 15And
said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple
that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his
place. 16Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the
foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that
time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not
finished. 17Now therefore, if it seem good to the king,
let there be search made in the king's treasure house, which is
there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus
the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king
send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

6 1Then
Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of
the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. 2And
there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province
of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written: 3In
the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a
decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be
builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the
foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore
cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; 4With
three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the
expenses be given out of the king's house: 5And also let
the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which
Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem,
and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the
temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them
in the house of God. 6Now therefore, Tatnai, governor
beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the
Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:
7Let the work of this house of God alone; let the
governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of
God in his place. 8Moreover I make a decree what ye shall
do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of
God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river,
forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not
hindered. 9And that which they have need of, both young
bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of
heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of
the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day
without fail: 10That they may offer sacrifices of sweet
savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king,
and of his sons. 11Also I have made a decree, that
whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his
house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his
house be made a dunghill for this. 12And the God that
hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people,
that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of
God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be
done with speed.

13Then Tatnai, governor on this side the
river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which
Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily. 14And the
elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the
prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And
they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the
God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and
Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15And this house
was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the
sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

16And the
children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of
the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of
God with joy. 17And offered at the dedication of this
house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred
lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats,
according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18And
they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their
courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is
written in the book of Moses. 19And the children of the
captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first
month. 20For the priests and the Levites were purified
together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the
children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and
for themselves. 21And the children of Israel, which were
come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated
themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land,
to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat, 22And kept the
feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made
them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them,
to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God
of Israel.